, 1887-11-11
CATTLE ON sHlPBOARO.
An Experienced Cattle Man Describes Bo-
vine R.hnyInr ON An Ocenn VOYAGE.

William Reilly is the foreman for one
of the largest cattle exporting houses in
New York city. He has made about fifty
trips across the ocean,, taking from 100
to 200 head of cattle each trip.
1--WE are improving every day, he be-
gan, in answer to the reporters inquiry
as to how the expectation is carried on,
but nothing " he continued, Twill ever
be absolutely perfect until some one builds
4 ship purposely for cattle expectation.
when we first began to export, we
were new in the business, and we had to
pay heavy for our experience. At that
time we used to lower the animals into
the hold of the vessel in pens in which
they were packed so tight that they
couldn't move. 1t was impossible for
them to lie down, and if one managed to, it
could not get up again-but 500 another
would drop from sheer exhaustion, and
then the scene that would follow after
the pressure had been broken would defy
description. Many in the pen would be
either trodden or kicked to death, others
ave their limbs broken and have to be
killed.
Nowadays the system is more perfect
in the hold of the vessel. In big freight
ships, whose holds are wide and pur-
posely constructed for the traffic, we
build stalls running the whole length of
the ship.
"When IN animal is lowered into the
hold of q ship it is led along the passage
way and backed into one of the stalls,
which are made of strong boards and
timber joints. In this it is firmly bolted
in by a door. The pen is wide enough to
allow the animal to lie down, but no
matter how heavy the sea it cannot be
thrown down, as it is strongly protected
both front and rear"
How do cattle act at sea?'
"Well, when first shipped, what with
the excitement of being lowered down
into the hold and her backed into the
stall-and that is no easy job, l tell you
the animal is certainly more or less ex-
cited; but when say 200 get excited-and
I've taken more thar hat at one trip
then it is a scene that is apt to try the
nerves of a man. Cattle for expectation
are selected from the best stock, and are
therefore well fed and high melted. For
that number of cattle l generally have
about thirty men with me, the ship
owners allowing so many to go free as
helpers to the other side. l ave the ami
mails beds made, their managers well
filled with the most tempting food and
plenty of water served them. We gener-
ally bring them aboard hungry. and they
begin munching, and by the time we get
outside Sandy Hook they are like a tired,
hungry person, exhausted by travel and
feeling satisfied and warm. They soon
lie down and fall asleep. We never start
with a load of cattle in a storm, or in a
heavy sea, for if we did the animals
,-A,,1I - ..l 49, A.
steadiest ship would feel the effect of
their tossing to and fro, and it would be
dangerous.
Everything is kept quiet during the
night, only the watchman being per-
mitted to stay in the hold where the
cattle are stalled. In the morning we
feed them again, for it is important to
keep them well fed on the way out
Then the ship has struck deep water,
and if there is n heavy sea the ship rolls
considerably.
Its strange, but still true, - said Mr..
Reilly, ''but the steer is, if alone, the
least easily frightened aniSlal you can
imagine. have seen fat cattle wake up
on their first morning out, when the ship
up, SO they braced their feet against the
SUES VI Iile Sldll iIl'l lay Iiltlt DdlfHlllN >
now and then lowing, and eating the
feed thrown them as naturally as if they
were on land.
Cattle" continued Mr.. Reilly, do
not get seasick, and as soon as they can
get on their legs it is a curious sight.
They are tossed back and forward, and
with their stamping make n terrible
racket, and they seem to look at each
~+l,- -, 80 ;,,,;.;rn- ,,Int oil tlnt .l,1-
ing up and down meant.
at is then that the cattle mems work
begins. There are always some vicious
brutes among them, and if they are not
quickly subdued there would be a panic.
The cattle men quickly but quietly go to
the vicious ones, coax them at first, but
if that fails throw them down, and, so to
speak, put them in irons.
"Cattle soon get their sea legs, and as,
except IN stormy days, the matches are
kept open, they get accustomed to their
stalls and very few die on the voyage.
l think that on an ordinary voyage we
lose about 3 per cent. On a stormy voy-
age, when the matches cannot be opened,
Of course we lose more, and nobody
would imagine how horrible a ships
hold is with so many herd of cattle con
lllleu LOT perhaps TWO, oven llIee "eehS'
without having any ait.
The English government laws in re-
gard to the importation of cattle from
America are very strict. No sooner does
the ship reach Liverpool than the cattle
are unshipped and driven into the govern
ment yards. There they are allowed to
rest. They are aired, fed and watered
and then thoroughly examined by the
government inspectors. The next day
they must be sold, for the law makes it
compulsory that all American cattle must
be slaughtered on the third day of land
ing. That's how it is that quotations for
American beef are 30 frequently marked
dull The butchers buy the cattle at
the lowest rates, knowing that we must
have them killed right off."-New York
Star Interview.